1. The best laid plans and all that...

Rather like politicians, football managers soon learn that their lives are governed largely by events. A near apocalyptic Miami storm ruined England’s dress rehearsal for next week’s Amazonian adventure against Italy. Granted it was hardly a setback on the scale of Wayne Rooney contracting Dengue fever in Brazil, for example, but annoying nonetheless. It also rather begs the question as to whether southern Florida really was the ideal location for England’s final base camp. It appears these “weather events” are commonplace at this time of year so such a delay was always going to be a risk on a night when the whole point was to see how Roy Hodgson’s team coped over a normal 90 minutes in high humidity.

2. Henderson has been coached well

There was a time – not so long ago – that scorn would have been poured on the notion that Jordan Henderson would be starting ahead of Jack Wilshere and Frank Lampard in an England first XI. After showing immense early promise at Sunderland the midfielder lost his way a little before joining Liverpool, where he initially looked an expensive flop. But Brendan Rodgers’s tuition has rescued that enormous potential – much to the delight of everyone charmed by Henderson’s impressive character. “I just like the kid,” said Roy Keane after giving him his debut.”He’s got an innocence about him that’s rare today.” Some quietly effective defensive recovery work and attack-prompting here emphasised his football is pretty streetwise these days. Significantly, Henderson made more passes – 41 – than anyone else during the first half.

3. Emilio Izaguirre was a lucky boy

The Celtic left-back looked good going forward – somewhat alarmingly so at times against Glen Johnson – but when he aimed a close-range shot at the prone Daniel Sturridge’s groin after fouling him, Izaguirre should have seen red. Not that anyone who was at St James’ Park to see Honduras collect a total of 15 yellow cards and a couple of reds in two games against Spain and Brazil during the 2012 Olympics would have been surprised. If Luis Suárez’s rigid 4-4-2 formation hardly prepared Roy Hodgson’s players for Costa Rica’s likely 3-5-2 configuration, Honduras’s sometimes formidably feisty, overly physical approach thoroughly tested England’s ability to keep their cool under provocation. Sturridge particularly did very well not to react to Izaguirre, but Hodgson will not have enjoyed watching Bryan Beckeles’ wildly dangerous challenge on Danny Welbeck.

4. Barkley can change the pace

Happily, Raheem Sterling’s suspension is over now – but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s knee injury is a shame. Controlling the tempo, playing between the lines and positional inter-changing among “the front four” are all vitally important – and England are improving in such spheres – but players capable of consistently beating their man at speed change games. Ross Barkley is not a winger – he’s much more a complete midfielder – but he possesses many of the breed’s best attributes. As a substitute he demonstrated he can change pace and turn away from people with ease.

5. Dilemmas, dilemmas

Despite being known as a conservative coach, a little part of Hodgson must be tempted to start both Sterling and Barkley against a theoretically vulnerable Italy in Manaus next week. England’s failure to score here can only have heightened his quandary. Yes, that pair of youngsters might concede possession in vulnerable areas but they are capable of elevating England to unexpected heights. And fortune favours the brave... Who to leave out though?